The Truth Behind Class D

As Kudo and Ayanokoji entered the classroom, the atmosphere was just as expected—lively yet unstructured. Some students were engaged in casual conversation, while others sat idly, barely paying attention to their surroundings.

Near the center of the room, a group of girls, including Karuizawa Kei, Shinohara Satsuki, and Wang Mei-Yu, had gathered around the ever-popular Hirata Yosuke. Their animated voices filled the air as they clung to his every word, clearly drawn to his charisma.

Hirata, ever the friendly and composed figure, noticed Kudo and Ayanokoji entering and greeted them with a warm smile. "Good morning, Kudo-kun, Ayanokoji-kun."

"Morning," Kudo responded casually, offering a small nod in return.

Before he could settle in, he heard a few excited whispers from the other side of the room.

"Oh my god, it's really him!"

"He's even more handsome in person!"

"Kudo Shinichi, the Detective of the East... in our class!"

Kudo sighed internally as a few Class D girls turned their attention to him, their eyes sparkling with admiration.

"You're so cool, Kudo-kun! Can you solve a case for me?"

"Have you ever been in a life-or-death situation?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?!"

Kudo let out an awkward chuckle as he made his way to his seat, ignoring the growing murmurs around him. The moment he sat down, a voice from beside him cut through his thoughts.

"Well, well," Shiho Miyano—better known as Haibara—mused, resting her chin on her hand. "Fame really does follow you everywhere, doesn't it, Great Detective?"

Kudo shot her a deadpan look. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Immensely," she replied smoothly, smirking.

"Right..." Kudo muttered, slumping back in his chair.

With that, the morning lesson began. The hours dragged on with the usual lectures, most students barely making an effort to pay attention. By the time the lesson ended, Chabashira Sae, their homeroom teacher, was about to leave when Kudo raised his hand.

"Chabashira-sensei, can you stay for a moment?"

Chabashira raised an eyebrow but leaned against the podium, clearly intrigued. "Hm. Fine, I'll humor you. What is it?"

Kudo stood up and walked to the front of the class, taking her place at the podium. With a subtle glance, he signaled to Hirata, who quickly understood and clapped his hands together.

"Everyone, let's quiet down for a moment," Hirata called out, his natural leadership instantly drawing attention. "Kudo-kun has something important to share."

The students settled down, albeit with some murmuring.

Kudo took a deep breath and began. "I've been observing this school since we arrived, and I've noticed some inconsistencies that most of you might have overlooked. If you don't want to end up regretting your actions later, I suggest you listen carefully."

A few students perked up, though others, like Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, seemed less interested.

"Ugh, what now?" Ike groaned. "Class just ended, man."

"Yeah, we get free money, free food, and this place is basically a resort. What's there to worry about?" Yamauchi added.

Kudo ignored them and continued. "Let's start with what happened during the entrance ceremony."

He turned to face the class fully. "Manabu Horikita, the student council president, gave a speech. While most of you probably weren't paying attention, I was watching something else—the students."

He crossed his arms. "I noticed a pattern. Class A and Class B were mostly attentive, listening carefully to the speech. But in Class C and especially in our class, most students were distracted, talking, or completely uninterested."

Horikita Suzune, who had been silent so far, spoke up. "Are you saying that was a test?"

Kudo glanced at her. "A sort of informal one. This school claims to treat students equally, yet it has already placed us in a hierarchy. Class A and B, the 'elite' students, listened carefully, while Class C and D, the 'problematic' students, didn't.."

Karuizawa rolled her eyes. "So what? That doesn't mean anything."

Kudo smirked. "Really? Then let's talk about what happened yesterday."

His gaze shifted to Sudou, who straightened slightly at the sudden attention.

"Sudou, the upperclassmen at the convenience store—what exactly did they say to you?"

Sudou frowned. "Tch. They called me a 'first-year punk' and laughed about me being in Class D."

The class murmured.

"So? They were just jerks," Ike scoffed.

Kudo nodded. "Yes, but think about why they were laughing at Class D specifically." He crossed his arms. "The way they spoke... it wasn't just about us being first-years. It was about our class placement."

Shinohara frowned. "Wait, are you saying Class D is...?"

"The lowest-ranked class," Kudo confirmed. "The way the upperclassmen spoke made it clear that being in Class D is seen as an insult. The school has a structured hierarchy, and we're at the bottom of it."

Yamauchi snorted. "Okay, even if that's true, what does that mean for us?"

Kudo let out a sigh. "It means our treatment here isn't equal. And more importantly, it means our points—our status—aren't guaranteed."

That got everyone's attention.

"What do you mean?" Hirata asked, brows furrowed.

Kudo turned to Sudou again. "Tell me, when you argued with those upperclassmen, where were the school staff? Did anyone stop them?"

Sudou blinked. "...No."

"Exactly," Kudo said. "The school lets students do as they please. But that also means they won't stop us from making mistakes that will cost us."

A tense silence filled the room as realization started to set in.

Horikita crossed her arms. "That would explain the free products at the store as well. If we were truly getting unlimited points, there'd be no need for them."

Kudo nodded. "Precisely. If the points were endless, why would the school need a safety net?"

Hirata's expression darkened slightly. "You're saying... there's a possibility we won't receive another 100,000 points next month."

Kudo nodded. "And based on the way the school operates, I'd bet on it."

Shinohara paled. "Wait, so we could run out of points?"

"Yes. And there's one last clue," Kudo continued.

He turned to the class. "We already know about the surveillance cameras in the classrooms. If this were just about security, they wouldn't need that many. But if our behavior affects our score..."

Horikita's eyes gleamed with realization. "Then Class D's future depends on how we conduct ourselves."

Kudo nodded. "Exactly."

Another silence. This time, it was heavier.

After a long pause, Chabashira smirked slightly before returning to her usual blank expression.

"I cannot confirm nor deny anything you've said," she stated.

Kudo narrowed his eyes. So I'm on the right track.

She turned toward the class. "But if you're so concerned, I suggest you think carefully about how you conduct yourselves moving forward."

The weight of those words settled over Class D.

Shinohara was the first to speak. "So... if we mess around, we lose points?"

"That's what I'm betting on," Kudo confirmed.

Karuizawa scoffed. "So what? Act like perfect students and everything will be fine?"

"No," Kudo corrected. "It's not about pretending. It's about understanding the game we've been thrown into."

He looked at his classmates.

"So, what will it be?"

--

As the weight of Kudo's words settled over the class, some students looked deep in thought, while others still seemed hesitant to accept the reality of the situation.

At the back of the classroom, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained silent, watching everything unfold. His eyes calmly analyzed Kudo's approach—his ability to control the room, to present logical deductions step by step, to gradually steer the class toward the inevitable conclusion without resistance.

He's good, Ayanokoji noted.

Kudo's presence was different from the others. Unlike Horikita, who exuded an air f superiority, or Hirata, who relied on charisma, Kudo wielded logic and persuasion as his weapons. He didn't force people to follow him—he led them to the answer so naturally that they believed it was their own realization.

If I weren't already aware of the truth, even I might've been drawn in by his reasoning, Ayanokoji thought, his gaze lingering on the so-called Great Detective.

But what intrigued him the most wasn't just Kudo's deductions. It was his purpose.

Kudo Shinichi... What exactly are you planning to do in this school?